Stephen Price: We need a hero

Noel Curran's return to head up RTE may look like a plot from an old B-movie, but today he faces a much changed broadcasting landscape

It is like a scene from one of those American B-movies that RTE2 frequently
runs in the evenings: the hero is chopping wood outside his isolated cabin,
when a helicopter lands, disgorging a man in sunglasses. “We need to talk!”
declares the man. “Hadn’t you heard?” the hero replies. “I
quit.” The man peels off his sunglasses, revealing a worried look. “We need
you back,” he pleads. “We have a serious situation and you’re the only one
who can handle it.”

These days, RTE budgets don’t stretch to helicopters, but Noel Curran’s return
to Montrose as director-general has been almost as dramatic. To the dismay
of many staff, the popular Curran unexpectedly resigned as managing director
of television last March, ostensibly to pursue other interests. Admirers and
observers alike were rather bemused, since for quite some time Curran had
been tipped as the next DG. Working as they do in